As you peruse the bulletin before the service this morning, some of you must be thinking, “Two Advent hymns? On September 1?” Hear me out. We’ve nearly reached the end of our study of the Book of Esther, one long narrative of God working behind the scenes to rescue His people from their enemies. But Queen Esther’s brave deeds could…
Though years and years roll on His covenant shall endure, Though clouds and darkness hide His path, the promised grace is sure. This morning’s Gospel Invitation from Psalm 111 sets forth God’s promise to bring redemption to His covenant people. The whole rest of the service really flows from this one point. We declare that His love is steadfast, both…
Dr. Joel R. Beeke is president and professor of systematic theology and homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, a pastor of the Heritage Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan, editor of The Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth, editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books, president of Inheritance Publishers, and vice-president of the Dutch Reformed Translation Society. He has written, co-authored, or…
Today’s service begins with a declaration from Psalm 33 that “the Lord loves righteousness and justice,” and that we trust Him to be our “help and our shield.” Though God may work silently and mysteriously, He is ever working to bring about justice for those He loves—a truth we will see vividly expressed in the sermon text from Esther. To…
Have you noticed that in each of the psalms that we’ve been studying the last few weeks, the psalmist speaks to his own soul? In Psalm 42 he asks the question “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” (Psalm 42:5), while in Psalm 62 he instructs his soul to “wait in silence, for my hope is from Him” (Psalm…
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. —Psalm 62:2 The psalmist calls God his “rock” three separate times in Psalm 62, expressing his security and confidence in the Lord. We will be using this image quite a few times this morning. We will declare that the man “who trusts in God’s…
As I was reading through Psalm 42 this week, one aspect that jumped out at me is the number of references to water. The psalmist is thirsty (vs. 2), and he compares himself to a deer panting for streams of water (vs. 1). He pours out his soul (vs. 4), and he describes God’s waterfalls, breakers, and waves (vs. 7).…
When we left off our study of Esther last week, Haman had erected the fantastically tall gallows where he planned to execute his hated nemesis. This morning, in Chapter 6, we see the hidden hand of the Lord providentially turning the entire story upside down. Mordecai, who we recently encountered wearing sackcloth and ashes in the king’s gate, is paraded…